A Year In The Life
by johncenaissohot
Summary: Tony, Ziva, Tim, and a lot of love. 365 days of average, boring life - as average as those three can get, anyway.
1. Day 1

_(Since the 365_prompts community has quite effectivly died, I figured I'd just upload my prompts to . Hopefully somebody enjoys them! :D )_

_DiNozzo Residence, 0530 hrs._

*BEEPBEEPBEEPBEE-*

*smack*

He groans.

There is NO way it's morning already.

Rolling on his side (dislodging Ziva, who simply flops herself onto McGee,) Tony squints at the curtains across the room.

Sure enough, there's the early morning rays of sun, struggling to peek their way through the heavy fabric.

Somebody shifts beside him, and Ziva sits up, rubbing her eyes and questioning softly, "What time is it?"

Tim, on her other side, turns and glares at the offending object. "It's...5:30. Why the hell are we awake at 5:30?"

Tony yawns, one hand scratching at his shirtless chest, the other covering his mouth. "Cuz Boss wanted us to come in early for shooting evaluations."

The younger man makes a noise of dissatisfaction and throws himself back onto the bed. "I don't want to...", he mutters, a uncharacteristic whine in his voice.

Ziva pats his arms sympathetically. "I do not wish to either, McGee," she sighs, "but it must be done."

"Be thankful it's only once a year." The other man throws in. He turns to rest his feet on the floor, scrubbing a hand over his face and yawning again.

The former Mossad Officer scoots to sit beside him for a moment, then stands and stretches lazily. Tim mutters again, something about "Stupid job..", then he too stands.

Tony pushes himself off the bed, stretching his arms over his head with a lazy grin.

"Last one to the shower is…Agent Sacks!"

He then takes off, Ziva hot on his heels. McGee's right behind her, and for a while, the only sounds in the house are running water and hysterical laughter.

_(lame ending is lame. :\ oh, well. At least I tried. __**(: **__)_


	2. Day 2

Prompt 2 – Kiss

_David Residence, 0930_

"Zivvvvaaaa."

"……"

"Zeeeeeeeee-vahhhhhhhhhhhh."

"……."

"Zivaaa-"

"WHAT?"

Tony jerks back, frightened. "Guess you're awake now."

The look she gives him could melt his Sig.

"OBVIOUSLY." The former assassin snaps. She sighs and heaves herself up. "I suppose we have something constructive to be doing today? I can't think of any other reason to be awake this early."

"Sure do." McGee responds. He's standing in the doorway, fully dressed, looking ready to go somewhere. He also looks somewhat exasperated at their lack of enthusiasm.

"But we're not gonna have time to do it if you don't hurry the hell up."

"What are we doing, exactly?" Tony questions, grabbing the edge of the bed and pulling himself up from the floor.

Ziva stands as well, stretching lazily. "I hope it does not require any effort. I am tired after our…'practice' last night."

The younger man snorts. "If that's what you wanna call it. Did you forget what today is, Zi?"

Her face screws up in thought. "It is Saturday, is it not?"

Tony smiles, sliding up to her and slipping his arms around her waist. "Not what he's referring to, SweetCheeks. What's the date?"

Ziva thinks for a moment. "It is…the twenty seven-" She pauses and then makes a noise of comprehension. "Ah. I remember now."

Tim grins and walks forward to wrap his arms around her as well. Sliding a hand up to the back of her wild hair, he presses a gentle kiss to her lips. He then leans around her to kiss Tony as well.

The older man smiles after he pulls away, tilting Ziva's head back to brush his lips across hers. "Happy Anniversary. Still can't believe you've put up with me this long."

Ziva turns and buries her face in Tony's chest. "We love you too, Tony. Even if your movies drive me up the hall." she replies affectionately, her voice muffled. Tim wraps his arms around the both of them.

"Wall, sweetie. Up the wall." He says automatically. Then, with a smirk, he adds, "Love makes you do crazy things."

"Ain't that the – HEY!"


	3. Day 3

Day 3 – Loss

_Navy Yard – 1830 hrs._

He wanted to hit something. Possibly several somethings.

_Why, Boss?_

Sitting in the bullpen, Gibbs' badge and Sig still in his hands, Tony can't get his mind to stop asking.

_We could have helped you. You didn't need to go. Why did you leave us? Why did you leave me to deal with this?_

_Why?_

"Tony?"

His head shoots up at the sound of her voice. It's far from normal.

_He made her cry._

And before he can think about the consequences, he's up and has her in his arms. Ziva clutches the collar of his shirt in her tiny fists, so tightly her knuckles turn white. She doesn't sob or scream, or even make a noise. She just lets the tears fall.

It might have been a few minutes or an hour, but Tony suddenly realizes McGee's calling for him. He opens his eyes to see Tim, standing at the end of the bullpen. He looks as distraught as Tony feels.

The woman he's holding pulls back, wiping at her eyes. The younger man steps forward and hugs her tightly, burying his face in her shoulder. Her eyes fall shut briefly, before opening again and locking on the other man's. When she finally speaks again, her voice is raspy and broken from crying.

"What do we do?", she questions him sadly. She's never looked smaller or more vunerable to him than in that moment.

Shaking his head, Tony hugs them both to his chest, resting his head on Tim's soft hair and letting tears run down his cheeks. As they stand together, struggling to make sense of everything, he makes a silent vow.

_If it's the last thing I do, I will bring you back to us, Gibbs. I promise._


	4. Day 4

Day 4 – Laundry

_David Residence – 1700 hrs._

"MAGEE!"

"….yes?"

"GET IN HERE!"

Gulping, he casts a look at Tony, who looks somewhere between amused and terrified.

"You heard her, get in there."

Tim gulps again, standing up and slowly shuffling down the hall to the laundry room. Ziva is standing in front of the dryer, looking absolutely furious.

"Hey, sweeti-"He attempts, but she cuts him off.

"Brownhugging will only prolong your agony."

"Brown NOSING, my ninja. Brownnosing." Tony says unhelpfully as he wanders by. "Don't mutilate him too bad. It's his turn to cook dinner."

"Tony!" Tim snaps. "NOT helping!" He shrugs. "Wasn't trying to. You know, this reminds me of the movie…" He trails off when he sees his boyfriend's murderous look.

The younger man turns back to Ziva, who is still fuming. "I'm almost afraid to ask…what did I do?"

Reaching in the dryer, the woman yanks something out and shoves it in his face. On first inspection, it looks suspiciously like a piece of tablecloth.

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS?"

"….A piece of lace?" he asks, taking a small step back. Being out of grabbing range is probably a good thing at the moment.

"NO." Ziva snaps. "IT IS THE $200 BRA I BOUGHT LAST WEEK. THE ONE I TOLD YOU SPECIFICALLY –

"To not put in the dryer," Tim finishes. Suddenly, he realizes he just admitted to it.

He can feel the blood draining out of his face.

"WHY. DID. YOU. PUT. IT. IN. THERE?" she questions, slowly pronouncing each word. When he doesn't immediately answer, Ziva gets even angrier.

"YOU DO NOT GIVE ME AN EXPLANATION RIGHT NOW, MCGEE, AND SO HELP ME ALL-

"I'll buy you a new one!" Tim interrupts desperately, hoping he can stop the pain before it starts.

It works.

She pauses, and a slow smile spreads across her face. Throwing the ruined lingerie in the small trashcan by the washer, she bounces up to him and presses a kiss to his cheek.

"That will work." She stops again, and then adds thoughtfully, "Oh, and I would like grilled chicken salad for dinner. The corset set I saw in Victoria's Secret is a size 3, and I will not be able to fit in it if you keep fattening me up." Ziva then saunters out, hips swaying.

Whirling around, Tim takes off after her.

"Corset? You never said anything about THAT!"


	5. Day 5

Day 5 – Wedding

_McGee Residence, 1430 hrs._

*sniff*

"….Really, Tim?"

"Shut up! You cried when Palmer got married."

"He has a point, Tony. If I recall correctly, you also cried when they showed that poor abused dog on Animal Planet."

The older man gaped at Ziva.

"BECAUSE THEY HIT THE POOR THING WITH A 2009 MUSTANG! AND WHY ARE YOU CRYING OVER THOSE PEOPLE, YOU DON'T EVEN KNO-"

*smack*

"OW! What the HELL was that for?"

Tim glares at him.

"Could you possibly QUIT YELLING? I'm TRYING to watch this!"

"Could YOU quit HITTING ME and maybe I -"

*SMACK*

"OW!"

"HOW ABOUT BOTH OF YOU JUST SHUT UP!"

"….Yes, Sweetcheeks."

"Sorry, sweetie."


	6. Day 6

_i'm not terribly pleased with this one - i've had a lot going on and haven't been able to devote as much time to writing as i would like to, but i still hope you enjoy it(:_

Day 6 – Anniversary

_DiNozzo Residence, 2400 hours_

5 years.

Five long, heartbreaking, amazing, wonderful, terrible years.

Letting out a long sigh, Tony pushes himself off the bed, casting a look over to his peacefully sleeping companions. He knows Tim still thinks about it, but he wasn't as close to her as he and Gibbs were. Ziva didn't get the chance to know her at all.

Opening the door of their bedroom, he pads quietly down the hall to the living room. The picture's still there, as always. It's been in the same place for as long as he can remember.

Crossing the room, he carefully picks it up.

"God, I miss you."

He sinks down onto the floor next to the shelf, staring at her happy, smiling face.

_December 24, 2005_

"_No, Kate,, you're supposed to do the egg, THEN the flour –"_

"_No, Abbs! When my mom made it, she always did the flour and THEN the egg and vanilla."_

"_If you do the vanilla before the egg, the flour will absorb-"_

_Tony rolls his eyes._

_**Why do I put up with them?**_

_**Because you love them, **__a voice in his head answers, and he realizes the voice is right._

_He really does love them._

"_Did you finally lose it, DiNozzo?"_

_Nearly jumping out of his skin, Tony whirls around to glare at Gibbs. His lips are twitching with barely suppressed laughter._

"_NOT funny, Boss."_

_Chuckling, Gibbs sinks down into the chair next to him. "I thought it was." _

_A scream comes from the kitchen and he gives Tony a strange look._

"_What are they doing, exactly?"_

_It's Tony's turn to chuckle as he replies, "They're arguing about the best way to mix cake ingredients."_

_The older man simply rolls his eyes. "That would be something they would do." He pauses, and then continues, "But I wouldn't want them any other way."_

_"Me either, Boss."_

"Tony?"

Shaking his head, he glances up and notices a sleepy Ziva in the doorway. McGee appears a minute later with a knowing look on his face.

He smiles (or at least tries to.)

"Just…"

"Remembering?" Tim finishes, taking Ziva's hand and coming to sit beside him. She glances curiously at the picture frame, and Tony passes it off to her.

"Oh!" she looks distraught. "I am so sorry, I did not realize –"

"It's okay, honey." The youngest of the three says, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I'm glad it didn't come up at work, actually."

Ziva nods, still looking upset. "If I would have realized…" She trails off. A moment later, she asks, "Would you…tell me about her?"

Tony looks at Tim, who nods slightly.

It may have only been five years,

but Kate would have wanted them to move on.

Sharing her with Ziva was only the beginning.


	7. Day 7

Day 7 – Cloud

Sighing, Ziva enters her humble abode and pushes the door closed behind her.

It has been a _long _day.

She slips her shoes off and pads quietly across the small entryway, searching for any sign that her loves are there. She's almost decided to just give up and go take a nice, hot bath, when she hears muffled laughter.

Moving to the patio door, Ziva smiles at the sight before her.

Tony and Tim have spread a blanket across a part of her modest backyard, situating it partly under the shade of a tree. They're now laying on it, hands intertwined, staring up at the sky and laughing quietly with each other.

She has not seen them like this, smiling and just _being _since…

_Since Gibbs up and took off on us, _a voice that sounds suspiciously like Abby says in her head, but Ziva shakes it off.

She will _not _let his mistake ruin this moment.

"Zi? Come lay with us!"

Apparently she was not as quiet as she originally thought.

Sliding the door over, she steps outside and moves softly across the grass. When she reaches the blanket, Tim offers a hand and Ziva lowers herself down beside the two, staring up at the sky.

Clouds have never been so appealing.


	8. Day 8

Day 8 – Ocean

_Scuito Residence, 2200 hrs._

"…That was horrible."

"WHAT?"

"…You did not just call The Titanic horrible, Abby."

Said woman raises an eyebrow at Timothy McGee, the only one who didn't respond.

"Anything to add, Timmy?"

He shrugs.

"I didn't like it either."

"WHAT?"

Ziva places a hand on his arm. "Tony, calm down. Not everyone appreciates The Titanic as much as you and I do."

"But…But…"

She pats his hand. "Just let it go, my furry butt. Karma will come back and bite them in the ankle."

"Ass, Ziva." Abby corrects. "Ass."

"That too."


	9. Day 9

_Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars? I could really use a wish right now…(Airplanes, B.o.B feat. Hayley Williams)_

_A/N – Hey guys! I'm still working my ass off, but I have a little more time off so I can really start cranking these out! I hope you enjoy this one – it's a crossover with CSI – albeit just a name mention. Anyway, on to reading! (:_

Day 9 – Airplane

_Welcome to United Airlines Flight 942, you may now remove your seatbelts. Dinner will be served in an hour. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask one of our friendly, qualified flight attendants. Enjoy your flight._

Pressing the small button, Ziva lets her belt snap back to its original place and stretches as much as she can. She then turns to observe Tony, who has made no move to remove his, staring stoically out of the small window.

She feels Tim lean over to her, lips next to her ear. "Give him a while. He won't be like this forever." Removing her gaze, Ziva looks into the younger man's eyes. His face is a mask, but his pain is clearly visible in the green orbs.

"How can you be sure?" she asks him softly, lacing her fingers with his. "I have never seen him like this."

He thinks for a moment, and then replies, "It's because of who it is." Seeing the woman's confusion, he goes to elaborate, but Tony interrupts them.

Taking a deep breath, he removes his belt and shifts closer to them, eyes red and voice hoarse. "Warrick and I…he's kinda the one that got away." When Tony notices a dawning expression of comprehension on Ziva's face, he smiles slightly. "That would be why I'm such a commitment-phobe."

"One person messed it up for you?" the younger woman asks, eyebrow furrowing.

Tony nods. "Yes, believe it or not. After everything that happened…it took a while for me to get back to normal."

"And you ended up friends after all was said and done." Tim finishes.

"Yeah." the older man says, looking down at his shoes, then back up at the two. "I had told him..no matter what happened between us, I'd always have his back."

"Oh." Ziva says. "Looking after his friends is part of that?" He nods.

She does as well, then leans over to hug him.

"You are a good man, Tony," she tells him softly.

"Do not let anyone tell you different."

_(wow, that was…yeah. not what I wanted __ i feel bad anyway, i haven't updated in so long. work's been kicking my ass. hopefully i can get back into the groove of things soon(: )_


	10. Day 10

Day 10 - Baby

Naval Criminal Investigative Services HQ - 1500 hours

The last few days have been hard. Harder than a lot of days they've had.

Sitting in a chair that shouldn't be his, at a desk that shouldn't be his, in a squadroom that _really_ shouldn't be his, Tony DiNozzo is numb.

The case had started out normal. Domestic dispute gone bad, typical thing.

But then _everything_ went to shit.

First there was the suspicious circumstances, what with their prime suspect being overseas with an air-tight alibi. Then the victim - and her 3-month old daughter - go missing. They've been run into the ground, haven't had time to change in almost a week. and still no sign of the missing victim or her child. Tony knows, in the back of his mind, that if missing person aren't found after the first 48 hours, they're not usually found _at all_.

And for some reason, this really makes him just want to cry.

Letting out a breath, he stands to make his way to the gym to blow off some steam when Tim and Ziva barrel their way into his path. The younger agent simply bends over and places his hands on his knees, out of breath from running up the stairs. Ziva pushes her hair out of her face and starts to explain when Abby appears behind them.

"Tony, Tony! I found the victim and her daughter! I was triangulating her last cellphone call by remote turn-on and - "

"Abby.." Tony says, giving her a look. She grins at him and says, "Okay, long story short, I found them! Here's the address!" He takes it from her and moves around his desk to grab his Sig and gear, Tim and Ziva not far behind.

_We're gonna bring them home safe_, Tony tells himself happily. _They're gonna be ok._

A few hours later, whatever optimism he had was long-gone. The victim was dead, at the hands of her husband. He, not being able to handle what he had done, had killed himself beside her body. Little Amelia James was now an orphan.

Sitting in the waiting room at the hospital, Tony was trying to stay positive. They had told the team that the baby was severely malnourished and dehydrated. They weren't sure if she would make it through the night. _Just another victim of this crappy world_, Tony thinks bitterly.

Ziva, sitting beside him, is silent and stoic. He knows this is hitting her hard (not that she'd ever admit it), but she's trying to stay strong for his and Tim's sake.

Tim is in the room with Amelia, not having let her go since they arrived at the crime scene. The EMTs hadn't been able to pull her away, and so they let him ride along. Tony and Ziva hadn't seen him since. The older agent hoped he'd able to handle it if she didn't make it.

Lost in his thoughts as he is, neither he nor Ziva hear Tim arrive in the room until he's in front of them. They both jump up and start talking over each other. He holds up a hand as they fall silent.

Tim's covered in drool and baby puke, hair in 50 different directions, but he's beaming.

"They said she'll be okay."

They both embrace him as he starts to cry and laugh.

Pressing a kiss to Tim's moist cheek, Tony sends up a silent thanks.

_Thank you, whoever is up there, for sparing Amelia. Now she'll get to have the life she deserves._

Um..Hai, guys :)

Yeah, I know..way to dip out on a story, huh? Well, now I'm back, and better than ever!

Well, maybe. I'm not too happy with that ^ but I hope you guys like it anyway :)

And before you worry, this is not the last of baby Amelia! We still have over three hundred days..Anything can happen :)


	11. Day 11

_Day 11 – Hospital_

_NICU, Bethesda Naval Hospital, 1900 hours_

Sighing and scrubbing a hand over his almost three-day stubble, Tim glanced at his sleeping companions. They'd been here since 1400, waiting for his updates and praying for a miracle.

Tightening his other hand, he let his gaze roam over the tiny form in the hospital bed. The life that could have ended before it began. Four-month-old Amelia James would never remember the violence that plagued her life, or the parents that, despite their flaws, had loved her with all they had. She wouldn't remember the pain she had experienced last night, and for that, Tim was grateful.

So lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the nurse in the room until she tapped him on the shoulder with a soft "Agent McGee?"

He startles, and then realizing it's just a nurse, starts to chuckle.

_Wow…I really need to sleep._

Taking a deep breath, he calms himself and then asks, "What can I help you with?" The nurse (her nametag reads Amelie, he notes absentmindedly) smiles and says the sentence that will forever change their lives.

"A caseworker is here to see you."

His heart stops for a split-second, and quite irrationally he thinks "_They can't take her! I haven't had her long enough!" _Then his brain kicks in and tells him, _"She isn't yours in the first place, idiot!" _

_Good Lord…I'm so tired I'm arguing with myself._

"Did they find family?" Tim asks her, quite firmly ordering his brain to shut up.

Amelie just smiles again.

"You'll see."

She steps aside to let the caseworker in, a tall distinguished looking man with an air of friendliness about him. He introduces himself as Mark Harmon. Sitting in the empty chair at the end of Amelia's bed, he flips open the file on his lap and begins to talk.

"Mr. McGee – "

"Tim, please."

The man smiles. "Tim, then. I understand you're the one that brought Amelia in?" The agent nods and explains how the events came about. Mr. Harmon nods and periodically takes a note or two. After almost an hour, he sits back to let the story sink in.

"I don't know if you were aware, but Amelia has no family." He had suspected as much. "This means, according to law, she is now a ward of the state." Tim makes a move to speak, but the older man holds a hand up. "Just a moment. I know what you were going to ask. This also means, if you and – ", he pauses to glance at Tony and Ziva opposite him, "your partners, I assume? Choose to, you can foster and or adopt Amelia. There is an application process, and some other things such as a home check you'll have to do – "

His heart bursting, he interrupts.

"I don't care what it takes. I want Amelia to be part of our family." Hearing the couch shift, he looks over to see his lovers, sleepy though they were, nodding in agreement. "We all do."

Mr. Harmon smiles. "I'm glad. I'll have the paperwork ready before she goes home." He stands and shakes each of their hands in turn, then takes his leave. Before shutting the door, he pauses and looks back one last time.

"Oh, and by the way? Congratulations."

*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*

So...it's been a year. I know, I know. Life's changed a lot. I'm not working anymore, I'm attending school full-time and I have a four-month-old. BUT. I know a lot of you wanted to see this story continue, and I thought it only fair. I hope you enjoyed that, and there will be more to come :)


End file.
